The present invention relates to a set of paving stones prefabricated at the factory, and particularly to such stones cast from concrete.
Natural stone pavements require a high degree of manual skill and are particularly attractive aesthetically, due to their irregular shapes. The laying of natural stones is, however, particularly expensive, since every stone must be individually selected from a supply of roughly-hewn stones, and trimmed at the laying site to accommodate curves or boundary joints. This requires a considerable investment of time in manual labor, and contributes significantly to the high costs. Quarrying natural stones ready for laying also involves considerable expense. Paving stones are obtained in special stone quarries, depending on the type of stone desired, where they are first roughly reduced and trimmed into a paving stone format. Transportation costs from the quarry are also considerable, since the stone quarries which yield the most particularly suited types of stones are frequently located great distances from the laying site.
In order to lower the costs, paving stones are presently fabricated into so-called "composite stones." These are cast from concrete into different, but uniform, shapes. A pavement can then be composed from a single stone shape, with identical stones lined up against one another. The joints between the stones are all closed, so that the stones fit snugly together. Although the laying of such pavements proceeds relatively quickly, one disadvantage of such composite pavements is that their highly regular appearance does not appeal to many individuals.
The appearance of natural stone pavements, on the other hand, is in demand particularly for use in homes having a rustic construction style, in guest homes of private villas, and in older urban areas for new pavements. Increasingly, asphalt pavements are being torn up in older traditional areas of various cities, and replaced with paving stones, mainly in order to create pedestrian lanes. The costs of such urban construction measures are, however, considerable, if natural stones are used for this purpose.
From OS-DE 35 07 226 Al, a paving stone set is disclosed, which consists of several square and rectangular stones, manufactured by casting concrete. The stones preferably have the same width and five different lengths. By placing two stones next to one another, a specific length can be achieved.
The stones have a base socket nearly all the way around as a distancing element, which serves to create regular joint widths. Furthermore, these base sockets permit the individual stones to be placed in rows next to one another in a pressure force-locking manner. The plaster stones in accordance with this disclosure have the disadvantage, however, that curves and edge seals are difficult to attain. As a result, the stones must be partially trimmed or else they cannot be placed in snugly fitting rows. This leads to excessive joint thicknesses, and disturbs the overall pattern of the pavement.